PHOTO EDITING WEEK with James Estrin of The New York Times

Many people can take decent photographs. Few photographers understand how to edit, sequence, and present their work. These skills, taught by pioneering photo editor James Estrin of The New York Times, will enable you to be better visual storytellers and help you distinguish yourself from other photographers.

In this intensive week-long workshop, you will learn how to edit and sequence photo essays and long-term projects. We will cover story structure and photo editing for presentation in magazines, books, exhibitions, or on the web. The workshop will also focus on how to market yourself and your stories.

Each participant will have the opportunity to register for a personal 90-minute editing session with Estrin on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday afternoon (July 21, 22, or 23), where he will review your portfolio and help edit any project.

Estrin will also share his advice for photojournalists in this time of COVID-19, including how to determine whether an assignment is essential, do pre-shoot assessment and preparation, follow best practice and vigilance during the shoot, and manage possible isolation after the shoot.

All content and instruction will be taught in English. All content and instruction will be taught live in Eastern Standard time. Recorded content will not be available.

Level: Intermediate to Advanced

Class meets online, according to the following schedule:

Monday, July 20 from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. EST and 3-5 p.m. EST

Tuesday, July 21 from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. EST

Wednesday, July 22 from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. EST

Thursday, July 23 from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. EST

Friday, July 24 from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. EST and 3 -5 p.m. EST

One-on-one 90-minute private editing session with the instructor (scheduled by the student on the afternoon of July 21, 22, or 23)

The cost for this workshop is $900; there’s an $850 early bird rate if you sign up before July 1.

About James Estrin

James Estrin is a staff photographer and writer for the New York Times who was the co-founder and co-editor of LENS, the Times’ photo blog. He was hired by the newspaper in 1992 and was part of a team that won a 2001 Pulitzer Prize for “How Race Is Lived In America.”

He was a co-executive producer of the documentary film “Underfire: The Untold Story of Pfc. Tony Vaccaro” which appeared on HBO in November 2016. He is also an adjunct professor at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at the City University of New York.

Upskill Summer 2020

The Covid-19 pandemic is forever changing journalism. Even after the initial crisis, the impact on how news is gathered and disseminated will be long lasting. Working journalists and journalism students alike need to adapt. Those who embrace the changes will be better placed to become leaders in newsrooms and sought after in the job market.

So why not use your summer productively and upskill!

The following classes are all remote but offer a personal learning experience through small class sizes, hands-on projects and one-on-one access to the instructor.

Please note that all classes will be conducted in English and that fluency in English is a requirement, as well as access to Zoom, our video call platform. Students who complete each course satisfactorily will receive a certificate of completion.